


Babysitting

by Juli



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F, F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-29
Updated: 2014-05-29
Packaged: 2018-01-26 23:40:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,656
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1706810
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Juli/pseuds/Juli
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Emma raised one eyebrow. Her normally unflappable father had answered the door with a stressed expression that immediately had her worried</p>
            </blockquote>





	Babysitting

**Author's Note:**

> A birthday present for nancy

“Thank God you’re here.”

Emma raised one eyebrow. Her normally unflappable father had answered the door with a stressed expression that immediately had her worried.

“What is it?” She asked, even as he ushered her into the apartment. “Are Mary Margaret and the baby okay?”

Given their family’s past, it wasn’t outrageous that her thoughts immediately jumped to wicked witches or evil queens, even if the latter was definitely not an issue anymore.

“They’re fine.” David took a deep breath in an obvious effort to collect himself. “Physically, I mean. Your mother, though. . . .” He seemed embarrassed, but also determined to carry through with something. “She’s a little frazzled.”

Emma relaxed. She hadn’t actually raised a baby before, but thanks to the incredible detail of the false memories that Regina had planted a year ago, she had an idea of what was going on.  Neal wasn’t Mary Margaret’s first child, but she hadn’t had the chance to raise Emma and so was new to that part of motherhood. No doubt having her son snatched from her just minutes after his birth had escalated any new mom nerves she was dealing with.

“You need to get her out of the apartment,” Emma stated, rather than asked. “She’s so focused on Neal that she’s neglecting herself.”

David beamed at her. “Exactly.”

Her dad had been hanging around Hook a lot lately and Emma had a feeling the manipulative pirate was influencing David too much.

“Why do I have the feeling that I just got played?” Emma asked.

“You love spending time with your baby brother,” David’s expression was too innocent to be real. Damn his friendship with Hook. “All I’m asking is that you spend maybe an hour longer than you usually do, so that I can take Mary Margaret out for lunch.”

Emma opened her mouth to say no. She adored Neal, but the idea of being solely responsible for the baby left her with all sorts of concerns. She’d been less nervous at the thought of taking down a 200 lb fugitive, back in her bounty hunter days.

“There you are!” Mary Margaret came out of the bedroom carrying the baby, her face radiant as she greeted her daughter.  “Are you sure you don’t mind?

Clearly, David had already committed Emma to do some babysitting, but one look at how happy her mother was and Emma couldn’t find it in herself to say no. After giving her father a pointed look, Emma smiled at Mary Margaret. “I don’t mind at all. Give him here.”

Mary Margaret settled baby Neal into Emma’s arms. “He’s just been fed and changed.”

Emma looked down at her little brother. He stared readily back and grinned his toothless grin, arms waving as he clearly recognized her. Emma felt her heart melt all over again. “Hey there, kiddo.”

“We’ll only be gone an hour. . .” Mary Margaret hovered.

“Maybe two,” David countered quickly. “It’s a nice day, maybe we could go for a walk after we eat.”

His wife frowned. “I don’t want to impose on Emma.”

“You’re not imposing,” Emma jumped in. Now that she was holding Neal, it didn’t matter so much that she’d been manipulated into babysitting.  “Go, have some fun. You’re entitled.”

Mary Margaret hesitated, even as her husband took her elbow. “I don’t know, he’s still so small.”

And he’d been taken from her once already.

“It’ll be fine.” Emma reassured her. “I’m the savior, remember? I think I can handle my little brother for a couple of hours.”

Mary Margaret smiled tremulously. “You’re sure?”

Emma feigned a confidence she really didn’t feel. “Yep, I’m sure. Now, go enjoy some adult time with your husband.”

“All right,” Mary Margaret let David lead her towards the door. “If you’re sure.”

“Surer than sure,” Emma normally wasn’t patient, but when it occurred to her that it was the first time her mother had left the baby, it wasn’t too hard to be understanding. “Have a good time; Neal and I will be here when you get back.”

David mouthed ‘thank you’ to Emma as he finally managed to usher his wife out the door. Emma narrowed her eyes at him. She didn’t mind watching over Neal so that Mary Margaret could have some obviously much-needed adult time, but didn’t appreciate how her father had gone about it. When her parents got back, she planned on cornering her dad and letting him know exactly how she felt about that.

The baby in her arms cooed, drawing her attention down to him. Emma shuffled the infant so that he was in one arm and used a finger to delicately stroke his cheek. “Well, I guess it’s just you and me, kid.”

Neal blew bubbles at her, clearly not concerned at all. Emma wished she had his confidence in the whole situation.

At first, it went well. Emma had fun talking to her brother and enjoying his various facial responses. Having just be fed and changed, though, the baby was ready for a nap. Soon enough, Emma put him down in his crib and settled in for a quiet afternoon.

The calm didn’t last long.

Emma was in the middle of texting her lover to change their afternoon plans when there was a loud bang outside. She jumped up to investigate, but had only taken a step when she heard the baby start to wail.

“Damn it,” Emma decided that determining their safety was marginally more important than comforting Neal. She reached for her gun and swore under her breath when she found an empty holster. She was off-duty and never brought her weapon when she visited her parents.

Cautiously, she moved to the window and almost immediately relaxed when she saw what was going on.

The dwarves were at it again.

Doc, Bashful and Sneezy had an old car they liked to work on. From the looks of things, it’d backfired on them, not only causing the loud noise that had awakened the baby, but also had generated a cloud of black smoke that was making the three men cough.

“Serves them right,” Emma muttered under her breath as she headed for the nursery. Neal, normally a happy baby, was screaming and the amount of noise the little creature could generate was amazing.

“Don’t cry, it’s okay,” Emma murmured. She picked the baby up and started rocking him in her arms.  “Come on now, give your big sis a break. Everything’s fine.”

Nothing Emma could say would calm the child. She was seriously considering calling her parents when she heard the apartment door open. She’d recognize those footsteps anywhere and called out to the newcomer, in the odd chance that the crying didn’t direct her.  “We’re in here.”

“Is everything all right?” Regina asked as she strode into the nursery. “I got half a text from you about delaying our coffee date and then nothing.”

Emma had never been so glad to see the other woman. “I got roped into babysitting and now this.”

Regina’s face softened and she stepped forward to lightly stroke Neal’s head. “What happened?”

“There was a loud noise outside and woke him up from his nap. It scared the crap out of both of us, actually.” Emma explained. Neal’s wails showed no sign of slowing down. “I can’t get him to stop crying.”’

“Here, let me try,” Regina reached for the baby and Emma happily handed him over.

Regina put the baby on her shoulder and began swaying from side to side. One hand rubbed gently on Neal’s back while Regina spoke quietly to the baby. “Shhh, it’s all right, you’re all right now.”

It was only as she sank into a nearby rocking chair that Emma realized how tense she’d been, probably since the moment her parents had left her alone with the baby. As she enjoyed the loosening of her muscles, Emma smiled as she watched the tableau in front of her.

“You’re really good at that,” Emma stated quietly, relieved that the frightened cries were tapering off.

Regina blushed. “I’m a little rusty. It’s been a long time since Henry was this small, but it’s a skill you never completely forget.”

Her response caused Emma to frown. “Those memories you gave me, they felt so real – how come I didn’t know what to do?”

Regina’s eyes got that far-off look that meant she was thinking deeply, but it only lasted a moment. “Muscle memory, I suppose. Your mind has the memories but not your body; it’s not instinctual for you.”

Emma felt oddly deflated. Intellectually, she knew the memories that Regina gave her weren’t true, but they felt so real. It wasn’t as though her faux-experience had let her down, but she couldn’t help it.

“Hey.” Regina’s voice was gentle and when Emma looked up in response, she realized that the careful tone wasn’t directed at the baby. “You would have been a great mother to Henry when he was baby. I’m sorry you didn’t get the chance.”

“I don’t know,” Emma’s smile was a little sad, but genuine just the same. “I’d say things worked out for the better.”

The crying had quieted and Regina moved towards Neal’s crib. “It’s time, young man, to get you back to your nap.”

Regina tried to lower the baby into the crib, but Neal started whimpering and clung tightly to her.  Emma treasured the look on the older woman’s face. Far from being irritated by the infant, Regina instead seemed touched by the baby’s desire to stay with her.

“Why don’t we take him into the living room with us” Emma suggested. She loved seeing this tender side of the older woman.

“All right,” Regina seemed relieved to have a reason to keep the baby in her arms.

The trio went back into the main room and Regina settled on the couch. She shifted Neal into her arms and spoke to him gently. Emma settled in the big, soft chair across from them and took great pleasure in watching. As she did, Emma had an epiphany.

“Regina.”

The other woman glanced over, big brown eyes unusually soft.  “Yes”

Emma bit her lip briefly. She knew what she wanted to say – and was confident in her reason for saying it – but wasn’t sure how Regina would react. “I want to have a baby with you.”

For once, she’d managed to utterly take Regina by surprise. “Excuse me?”

“I want to have a baby with you,” Emma repeated. She sat forward in her chair; now that she’d started, she was eager to convince her lover. “We’re doing a good job in raising Henry, let’s do it again.”

Regina opened and closed her mouth. Neal, sensing her tension, began to fuss again and Regina was clearly relieved for the distraction. She rocked the baby in her arms, this time until he fell asleep. It took a couple of minutes, but Emma didn’t mind. While she watched her lover interact with the baby, she imagined what Regina would like pregnant.

It was a very pretty mental picture.

Regina, who was beautiful and sophisticated every waking moment, would be beautiful while gravid. That already porcelain skin would glow and, far from ever being bloated, Regina would have an absolutely adorable baby bump, not to mention how her already ample bosom would swell.  Emma licked her lips at the thought.

“If you want to have another child, I won’t stop you.”

Emma had been lost in her daydreams and hadn’t realized that Regina had laid a now-sleeping Neal on the couch. She remained next to the baby to make sure he didn’t fall off.

“I do want to have another child,” Emma clarified.  “With you.”

“Where is this coming from?” Regina asked, head tilted to the side as she considered her lover. “Is being around Neal giving you ideas?”

Emma snorted. “That’s part of it, I’ll admit it, but more than that, I want to share parenthood with you.” “We have Henry,” Regina sounded as though she was trying to hold back her own feelings on the subject.

“Yeah, but we both missed out.”  Emma retorted. “I got to experience pregnancy, but not parenthood, not for real and not when Henry was a baby. And you, you got to raise Henry from the beginning, but you didn’t get to know what it was like to be pregnant.”

“You- you’d trust me to carry the child?” Regina shook her head, but held up her hand to stop Emma from answering. “It doesn’t matter, it’s still not enough of a reason to have a child.”

Emma abandoned her comfy chair to kneel in front of Regina. “It does matter and, no, I don’t want to have a child with you just because I think you’d look hot pregnant. I want to share that experience with you. I love you and I can’t think of a better way to express that love.”

“I think we need to think about it some more,” there were tears in Regina’s eyes. “But you make it sound wonderful.”

“It will be,” Emma assured her. “But you can take your time to think about it.” It was only fair, Emma had been thinking about it since before her little brother was born.

“Assuming I say yes, what would we do about finding a father?”  Regina’s smile was sad.  “There’s a lot of things that magic can do, but creating life like that. . . well, if I could have managed that, I wouldn’t have needed to adopt in the first place.

Emma managed, barely, to stop from rolling her eyes. Even after months of working on it, Regina’s first thought on any subject had to do with magic. “We don’t need magic, all we need is a sperm donor-  and I already have one in mind.”

Regina’s eyes narrowed as she considered the choice. “Not your father, that would be too. . . well, I can’t imagine he’d go for that. Baelfire is gone, Gold is looking to start his own family with Belle, Robin has a child already and that leaves. . . no.” Her nostrils flared delicately. “You can’t mean for us to have a child with that obnoxious pirate as a father.”

“You’re not the only one who’s reformed,” Emma pointed out gently. “Now that he’s found his true love in Robin, Killian’s not likely to have the opportunity to have a biological child of his own.” The less said about Marion, the better. “He’s got a protective streak in him a mile wide, just ask Henry. He’d protect his child with everything he had, if it came to it.”

“He did help us get Henry back,” Regina was beginning to relent.

“Besides, he’ll have Robin to show him how to be a good father,” Emma added.  Not to mention that Hook and Regina would make one seriously beautiful child.

Regina shook her head and smiled. “All right, IF we decide to have a baby and IF he’s willing, then we’ll consider Hook as a possibility – as long as I’m not expected to conceive the natural way.”

Personally, Emma thought a romp with Killian – and Robin, since he wouldn’t want to be left out – would be a lot of fun, but she wasn’t the one anticipating getting pregnant. “The world without magic does have some perks an artificial insemination is one of them.”

“Good,” Regina turned back to Neal, running one finger gently down the infant’s cheeks. “I’ll think about it.”

“That’s all I ask.” Emma reached up and kissed Regina briefly, hoping she put all of her love for the other woman into the gesture.

In her heart of hearts, though, Emma knew what Regina’s decision would be. With a growing sense of excitement, she sat on the other side of the couch, so that her baby brother was in between them.

 She’d better get in all the babysitting practice that she could get. . . she was going to need the experience.

~the end~


End file.
